A Darker Twist
by Areum113
Summary: After falling into Tartarus together no one expected Percy and Annabeth to break up. The Seven weren't expecting to see Percy the hero of Olympus get a tattoo, with some piercings on the side. And Nico wouldn't have taken Percy for a stoner. Then again Percy was full of surprises. For Nico, Percy would always be his type. He just didn't stand a chance with Percy.
1. Full Of Surprises

Nico wouldn't have taken Percy for a stoner. Then again Percy was full of surprises. After the Giant War, after falling into Tartarus _together _no one expected Percy and Annabeth to break up. They said they were better off as friends, they loved each other, just not in a romantic way. They said nothing more and kept hanging out as best friends until they left for their respective high schools in Manhattan for their junior year. Somebody said they saw Annabeth kissing a son of Apollo somewhere and someone said she kissed a daughter of Hecate. No one had proof, the son of Apollo swore he didn't kiss her. There were rumours about Percy too, bigger and wilder ones. There were rumours about Percy fucking around with a bunch of dudes before he left. Allegedly some son of Aphrodite had a party -_orgy-_ before Percy left. Percy was said to be on of the 10 or so guys that attended. Nobody talked about an orgy in camp of course to incur Chiron's wrath and be doomed to doing the dishes, so nobody said anything. Someone said that they saw Percy taking the Stolls into his cabin after curfew but Stolls just laughed and said that they could've done something or not.

When Nico was invited to Percy's birthday party in his family apartment, Nico wasn't expecting to see ink on pale skin. Sometime between cutting the cake and an intense Monopoly game Percy stretched and his t-shirt pulled up to reveal sizeable tattoo of Medusa's head in black and grey o his side that drew the attention and brought many questions. He said it was new, done just after returning from camp, hence it was so saturated and crisp with the lines, and no they couldn't touch it because it hadn't healed yet. Nico wanted to more than just touching but his crush, his love had to become a thing of the past, licking Percy's skin and tasting it would be a step in another direction. While no one else seemed to notice, Nico saw a few black, less saturated and more blurry shapes peeking above the waistband of Percy's low-slung jeans. _A tattoo inked so low on his navel... _Nico make out what it was as it was mostly obscured and thinking about it would only lead to thinking about even lower parts of the older demigod's body. Forbidden thoughts. Since Percy didn't show those and nobody else seemed to ask or notice them Nico kept quiet.

Around Halloween Nico dropped by Jackson's place for Sally's dinner. Only Annabeth and Grover seemed to be there besides him and Percy just said gathering everyone from all over the country for a dinner when there was no holiday would be hard, the dinner wasn't a big celebration, they were just going to eat and watch some horror movies. Nico didn't pay much attention to the hoops in his ears or that one stud in his right helix. No one else seemed to mind them and Percy's messy hair covered them from sight. No one else seemed to mind them in the room, it probably wasn't new to them Nico guessed. Percy disappeared to his room for a bit before the movies, and when he came back there was a faint smell that Nico could identify but not figure out on him. Grover with his sharp nose must've noticed it but he said nothing. Nico could swear he heard Grover mutter "Stingy." But it made no sense to him.

Towards Christmas, the relationship Nico had with Will took a weird turn. Nico wasn't that over Percy and Will wasn't ready for monogamy. Nico was getting over the effects of growing up in the 40s and getting more into the gay community and into being intimate, while Will was wrapped up in it and maybe with the gay community being this way to a degree or maybe because he was Apollo's son he was more into polygamy. He liked messing around with other guys and Nico couldn't blame him as he wasn't putting out until recently. Will mentioned it when they started dating that they were not really exclusive (he did say he would try if Nico wanted him to be) and Nico was just unsure. He liked Will and he was grateful that Will was helping him with getting into the 21st century gay community. But his feelings to Percy… Will knew, that was another reason they were not exclusive too, he told Nico he could experiment, especially with a certain son of Poseidon (that Nico said was straight despite the rumours and eyerolls from Will). Nico wanted to faithful and be that one gay guy that didn't fuck around (it didn't fit into his established ideas from the 40s but he let Will do as he pleased, he didn't fuck around too much but Will wasn't comfortable with being with one single person, polygamy made him feel better.) Ever since they started getting intimate, there was the thought that this was too physical and not deep enough. Maybe the feeling was there since the beginning and Nico was just becoming more aware as more time passed. Will's smile was too staring straight, not crooked; his laugh not throaty enough. He was subtle and aware, not brash and oblivious. It wasn't that being with Will wasn't great or satisfying, Nico just thought if he was going to commit and ask someone to commit to him as well, it wasn't going to be with Will. Will seemed to notice this too, actually he seemed to know from the beginning. When Percy invited Nico over for Christmas dinner with his family before going to camp Will told Nico to go and he was going to have a "celebration" with Stolls himself.

While Percy seemed to change a lot over the last few months Nico didn't expect this change (and couldn't understand the reason either) But Percy was… different. He was wearing an old camp t-shirt and some jeans as always, but his jeans seemed so much tighter and the gashes on the tights that were from monster were just too eye catching for Nico. Percy's hair had grown longer and his fringe was getting into his eyes, obscuring the pretty green orbs and making them gleam through the dark curtain. _Was that eyeliner? _The most shocking change was the two piercings under his lip. _Snake bites_ that's what they were called right? _At least there weren't any new tattoos…_ Nico thought until he saw something dark peek out from the rips on his right tight.

The t-shirt, the jeans, the messy hair… It was the same yet things were different and Nico was interested. He wanted to see the full extend of the Percy's tattoos. Especially those peeking from his thigh and on his navel. "What's with the new look?"  
"Well, Percy has always been rebellious." Annabeth piped up. "Though some of his piercings and tattoos are hot as hell." An unknown boy piped up from the living room. Percy just shrugged and motioned for Nico to go to living room. "And you are..?" Nico was confused and slightly confused as this jock-looking guy being so familiar with Percy' new tattoos and piercings. "I'm Chris."  
"He's my partner for the history project. And he was leaving now."  
"Yeaaaa…" Chris sounded disappointed. "Next Christmas I guess."  
"Maybe. See ya after break Chris." The guy took some papers and book from the coffee table before leaving. He sent a wink to Percy that made Nico's blood boil. Annabeth snickered after closing the door behind the jock. "You totally fucked him, right?" Percy didn't blush or looked ashamed. He had a straight face as he answered like he was talking about going to McDonalds, ordinary occurrence. "We messed around after starting on the project but mortals are… They lack stamina and everything that demigods have. And I can't make it last more than a few weeks with them." He paused. "Besides he wants to date seriously and I can't do that with a mortal when I'm always in danger and I have to hide half of my life. And other stuff…"  
"I know what you mean." Annabeth had a knowing smile. "Well let's move on to food now that Nico's here. I'm starving."

Nico sat next to Percy on the table. He also saw that only him and Annabeth were invited to dinner, "This dinner is… less crowded than I expected."  
"Well, Christmas is for family and close friends. I invited the closest to me. And Grover was busy being Lord of the Wild."  
"What about the Seven?"  
"They are great but most are too far away and we were together before them too and I… I'm just not for crowds nowadays." Nico could relate. Annabeth had an understanding look on her face as well. "Keeping it simple and with people who can relate. We don't want to worry them. We're recovering still." That made sense. Neither Annabeth nor Percy were people to show their pain or weaknesses. Percy would always put a smile and hide his true feelings, wouldn't show his insecurities to others. In a way, it made butterflies swirl in his stomach, by knowing he was someone that Percy could show his weaknesses to. It made Nico feel weird, something deeper than the idolized hero worship or the childhood crush he felt to Percy, when he felt Percy's trust in him. When he could see that Percy noticed him and relied on him.

Over the rest of the dinner pleasant small talk was made. Percy and Annabeth told Nico about high school. He wanted to go to school, Bianca would've liked that too. Sally invited Nico and Annabeth to stay over the night. Annabeth could take the guest bedroom and Nico could take the couch. They watched Grinch after dinner for no one's pleasure but little Estelle's before Sally and Paul took her to sleep and retired for the night themselves. Estelle, like most other babies was a ball of cuteness that drained her parents. After they left, Percy and Annabeth decided to introduce Nico to the greatness that of Rick and Morty. Before they started the show Percy went for a break in his room like Halloween. Nico was confused and Annabeth had a knowing look on her face. _Great, the daughter of Athena knew something that no one else did, nothing new but not any less annoying. _"Just go and find out yourself. He wouldn't mind you knowing." She gave him a push towards Percy's bedroom.

Percy was on the fire-escape outside his window. There was pot on the railing with a glowing silver flower in it. Percy was leaning on the railing and looking down to the street, his back turned to Nico, but Nico could see puffs of smoke coming from him. _Was Percy smoking?_ What he smelled at Halloween wasn't tobacco though. Nico called out to the Percy as he climbed out of window to join the older demigod outside. "What are you doing out in the cold?" Percy turned to face him. "Wasn't expecting you." He had what looked like a hand rolled cigarette with brown paper between his fingers. The unpleasant smell was more concentrated now that Nico was next to the burning herbs. _A joint. _"Didn't take you for a stoner."  
"Bold accusation. But it helps me relax. I have medical permission to have it, it's even legal. It's working well though." Percy took a hit. His eyes were already tinted pink. "Working amazing. Stuff like watching movies or listening to music is much better. Everything feels so much alive and I just live them. Even just looking at the stars is so much better." Nico wouldn't have taken Percy for a stoner, and he seemed to classify as one, he seemed to used to it, too into it. Nico himself didn't have that much experience besides being with Will a few times when he did it at some rare camp parties for older campers when they got bored. He had never seen Percy there or at least not when he was smoking. "How does it feel?" Percy raised a questioning eyebrow. "Aren't you dating Will?"  
"He probably does it less than you."  
"Definitely. But he gets it from Stolls too. And he helped me get the medical permission for it." Nico wasn't surprised. Stolls smuggled all sorts of banned goods to camp. _Including condoms when Chiron was against them having sex in the camp. _"He offered but I never really took him up on it really. I am also afraid of getting high, I never felt it and I am afraid it will make me lose control.

Percy lazily took another hit from the joint. "I think I don't"  
"What?" Nico was confused. "Being in control." Percy explained. "I think I don't want to be in control anymore. All those lives depending on me… I never wanted to be a leader. I want a break and maybe someone else to do the leading. I'm done with this." Another drag. "Besides weed isn't like alcohol. It's not losing control. It's mostly relaxing. I relax and let go and kinda do what I feel like doing. I know what I am doing and everything." Silence set in after Percy stopped talking. It wasn't uncomfortable. "Are you high."  
"Soon. I didn't smoke earlier today This will take effect in a bit."  
"How often do you smoke?"  
"Sometimes I start early in the day. I went to school high quite a few days now I guess. I do it in most afternoons, it helps me sleep too. Sometimes when I don't feel like it I don't, if I have a bad trip I take a break." Nico watched the smoke coming from Percy's lips after another drag. "Can I have some?" Nico had tried weed before once with Will. Just a drag to get him coughing and stopping right after. He never felt like giving it another go. But now… He wanted be on the same wavelength as Percy. "You sure? You said you didn't do it with even Will."  
"I said I never got high. I tried once and it made me cough a lot and I didn't even get high."  
"You'll cough now too. A drag won't make most people high. And most people don't get high the first few times. I didn't." Percy handed him the lit joint anyway. "Wanna finish this?"

Nico wordlessly took up Percy's offering. He put it between his pale lips and took a drag' keeping it in his mouth before sucking in more air and filling his lungs. He was coughing. Nico felt a warm and calloused hand slowly caress his back. "I'll go and get my stuff to roll another one." By the time Nico stopped his coughing fit Percy was back with a small bad of dry green herb, a neon green grinder, some rolling paper and a filter tucked between his lips. Percy sat down on the cold iron fire-escape and patted next to him. "Finish that and we can try shotgunning with this one?"  
"Doesn't shotgunnign require us to kiss?" Nico remembered Will and Cecil doing it. He had been proposed as well but he enjoyed kisses when he didn't feel like coughing his lungs out. "For the best experience. You don't have to. I know you're with Will. But he is…"  
"We're not really exclusive." Nico felt more nervous about kissing Percy than anybody else. Clearly, he was wrong about Percy being straight and high chance the rumours floating in camp were somewhat true. The thought of kissing Percy made butterflies swarm Nico's stomach. He sat down next to Percy. The chill of the iron was stinging but he didn't care. He took another hit and coughed a bit more. Percy's throathy chuckle was music to Nico's ears. "I wanna try."  
"Nice. Finish that first." Nico took a shallow drag before putting his fingers up against Percy's plush lips letting him finish the last bits of the joint. He crushed the leftovers to the ground to blow it out and threw it down to the street without a care.

Percy lit the new joint. "C'mere." He turned to Nico and leaned down. He took a long drag before kissing Nico and blowing the smoke into his mouth. Nico broke this kiss to suck in some air and cough right after. Percy giggled. "How did that feel? Besides the cough."  
"Hot."  
"Wanna continue?"  
"Yea."  
"You do it this time?" Nico gave a smile back before accepting the joint. He took a drag and kept it in his mouth before leaning in to kiss Percy. He blew the smoke into Percy's mouth, it was easier and didn't make him cough. Unlike Nico, Percy didn't cough or break the kiss. He asked entrance to Nico's mouth by licking his lips. Their tongues were dancing as he moved to straddle Nico's lap.

The joint was forgotten in Nico's hand. Percy was grinding down on Nico's lap and he could to nothing to hide his erection, so he moved his hips up to meet the older demigod's movements. Percy stopped kissing to suck on Nico's neck. Nico toom a drag and the action brought Percy back to his lips to suck in the smoke before letting go. "More intense than I expected."  
"Yeah."  
"We can stop."  
"I never said I want to stop." Nico took a look at the blunt. "Maybe wanna stop smoking this though."  
"Take another hit and I'll finish it. Then we can go inside. I'm getting cold." He took a moment. His eyes were red and blinking slowly. "Besides I can feel it and if you don't feel it now you probably will soon too. We can continue inside and trust me we need to watch Rick and Morty when high, it will be epic."

Annabeth was smirking and not paying any attention to the episode of Love, Death and Robots on the TV. "That took a while. I sent Nico to talk not for you to get him high and molest him when he has a boyfriend."  
"You're just jealous. You can have some, it's on my desk." Percy rolled his eyes as he plopped down on the couch. "Go get high and leave us alone to make out some more." Nico blushed and Annabeth laughed as she went to take Percy up on his offer. As soon as Nico sat down Percy was next to him and had his hand rubbing Nico's tight. His voice full of suggestion when he stated rather than asked, "Do we continue?"  
"I am confused." Percy had a weird look on his face as he abruptly stopped his hand from rubbing Nico's tight. "You said you guys weren't exclusive."  
"Yes… But I… I wanted to be faithful when Will tells me that the gay community can be quite messed up and messing around is common, _normal_. He tells me to go wild and experiment and _enjoy_. I don't know… I… I want to do this with you but I don't want his to be a one-time thing."  
"We can do it again. I like this too."  
"Yeah but… I want it to be serious. I love you. I loved you for so long."  
"I wasn't your type?"  
"I lied. I thought you were straight and you loved Annabeth. And now… I wanna know all your tattoos and piercings. Better than that mortal."  
"You're jealous." Percy said in a sing song voice. He had an eyebrow raised with a lopsided smile in his usual mischievous troublemaker style. "NO!" Nico blushed and Nico, the son of Hades _did not_ blush. "Maybe! Yes! But I have Will and I'm confused. I feel like… he was pushing me to you and I don't know." He sighed. "I think he knew."  
"So…"  
"Can we date?" Nico's voice was small. Percy pecked him on the lips softly. "I don't date three way, I am open for a threesome though."  
"You and me, exclusively?"  
"Unless you feel like spicing things up. Look Nico, you helped me so much in the past and I trust you. You understand and you are not flustering me with it. You know what Tartarus can do to people. And Nico, it took me a while to accept and I cannot deny it anymore, I am gay. I want a relationship, so that I am not alone so I have someone I can trust and lean on. Someone I can love. I know I can trust you to be that person."  
"I feel bad, like I am betraying Will. But this… feels right."  
"Don't worry. I know someone crushing hard on Will that can take his mind off you. And if that doesn't work Stolls can get your mind off anything." Percy kissed him gently on the lips.

It didn't take long for Nico to deepen the kiss. They were moving in a sloppy, somewhat lazy way yet everything felt hazy and so much more sensitive. Percy's touch felt like it was burning. They were back to the position they had on the fire escape. "Annabeth will come back." It hurt Nico to break the kiss. "She'll see us." Nico moaned as Percy bit down on his neck. Percy managed out a "She'll go back to my room."  
"It's awkward."  
"Nico." Percy grumbled before stopping biting Nico's neck to meet his eyes. Percy's eyes were red and drooping. "I'm high. I'm horny and I'm making out with a hot guy I really like. Annabeth will go back to my toom or the guest room, her stuff is there already. She will be fine. Right now I really wanna suck your dick." When he grabbed Nico's erection over his pants, Nico couldn't manage any answer besides an excited moan. This was so much better than anything and he wasn't sure if it was because of being high or because of being with Percy. All he knew was that inside something felt good, something felt _right_. He couldn't' bring himself to help Percy get on the floor between his leg and Percy dropped down clumsily, knocking his back to the coffee table. He picked himself up with Nico too slow to react and was already opening Nico's pants and pulling them down with his underwear as much as he could with Nico still sitting down.

It wasn't the first blowjob Nico had received. It was the first one from anybody besides Will. He always thought Will was good, Percy easily proved to be better. He seemed to have no gag reflex as he swallowed Nico's sizeable member all the way in the first go, his nose buried in dark curls above Nico's cock. _Maybe it was a son of Poseidon thing, unable to choke and all… _The hot and wet mouth around him was too much for Nico's high nerves to handle. He felt like burning up and melting down. There were stars behind his eyelids whenever he closed them. He gave a throathy moan "_More_." He felt Percy lazily smirk around his dick, lips stretch around his burning flesh. The older boy pulled away until only the tip was in his mouth. _Tease._ The roll of his tongue around head of Nico's dick felt almost _divine_. The soft hot flesh moving against it and a solid metal pearl rolling against sensitive flesh… _A fucking tongue ring!_ Now the stars behind his eyelids were exploding in bright white. Percy worked on an erratic rhythm of deep throating, pulling back to play with the tip and sliding Nico's cock up and down his mouth and throat. It was too much for the younger demigod's over sensitive nerves, the unique feeling of the piercing's metal rubbing and the wet and hot mouth covering and playing with his cock in all sorts of ways had Nico spill his cum. He let out a loud groan and Percy swallowed what he let out without sparing a drop.

Nico felt boneless but somehow found the strength to help Percy het back on his lap. "Was that good?"  
"Mind blowing."  
"Well I need some mind blowing too."  
"Then get off me."  
"Just help me jack off. I think my parents heard enough for tonight." Percy pulled his t-shirt up and bit on the hem, exposing a belly button piercing and Minotaur and Fury tattoos under the Medusa head on his right side, the Fury mostly disappearing into his jeans. They looked almost alive to Nico's hazy and high mind. When he opened and pulled down his jeans to reveal the mystery tattoo on his navel, the one Nico had been wondering about since Halloween. It was a tribal wave design starching between his hipbones, barely above his flushed cock. Nico didn't wonder too much about Percy being commando as if he was expecting something like this too happen and he was just too willing, too lewd. What he noticed more was that Percy was much more average sized than the rumours at the camp told him to be. _Nico's own cock was more impressive and it felt good._

Percy pulled Nico's hand to his dick, wrapping both their hands around it. He sat a slow rhythm that Nico soon broke to swat away Percy's hand and take control. He moved faster and harder to make Percy gasp and let out muffled moans against the t-shirt he was clenching between his teeth. Percy reached a hand behind himself, _to finger himself _Nico thought. It made Nico move his hand faster, before the thoughts of Percy stretching himself for Nico made him hard again. Percy came with a muffled moan and slumped on Nico's shoulder and chest. Nico's hand and their t-shirts were a mess with his cum.

Percy got off Nico's lap and pulled his pants up. He didn't seem bothered by the cum in his pants as he snuggled to Nico's side. He grabbed Nico's dirty hand to lick the cum off it and clean it up. "Jerking off when high feels pretty good. Way better than normal. Everything is more sensitive."  
"Yeah. I felt great. Your blowjob was great." Percy chuckled. "I feel flattered. Son of Poseidon, hero, absolutely no gag reflex and unable to choke." Nico hit him on the arm but laughed along. "This was nice. Nicer than some dumb show."  
"You did not just call Rick and Morty dumb!" Percy forced Nico to watch the show afterwards and it wasn't dumb like Nico had expected. There were no weird feelings in the room, and it all felt right.

On a note, when Nico told all these things to Will, Will said it was about time and he could see it coming from the beginning. He also mentioned monogamy with Percy wouldn't be easy and he winked. _Sly bastard._ Looks like Nico was late to the party and the last one to get Percy's ass but he was determined to be the one to keep it.

**Not beta-ed and English isn't my first language, feel free to comment on any mistakes I've made in a nice and constructive way. And yes I can only do bad titles. ;-;**

**So hopefully, I will post some more work to follow this one. I have some ideas that I can put down when I get time and hopefully I will once I get my Christmas break and decide be useful for once during a break. I would love to expand on this alternate ending that I am creating, share more about it (especially if people like it and want to see more of it.) For now I like I am being risky by writing smut for my first fanfic on AO3 but it is 1 a.m.**

**I do not own Percy Jackson though I am a big fan. (I have lost interest though and I will ignore Trials of Apollo because I only read the first book.)**

**I can't belive I am actually posting a fanfic for once and using AO3 to post, been so long since I posted anything anywhere! I am quite nervous. I think the website is better than with the tags and everything and more specific, I wanted to use it. Trying my hand here and just sharing stuff. Hopefully there will be some people who like this stuff!**

**Any constructive criticism is appreciated.**


	2. All The Marks on Your Skin

It had been over a month since Nico and Percy started dating. With a start as intense as theirs, by the time they went to camp to reveal their relationship they were already spending almost every night in each other's cabins. It was handy to be the only Greek children to Poseidon and Hades. When Hazel came to visit Nico and the Greek members of the Seven Nico could spend nights in Poseidon cabin with Percy. She had blushed hard when she noticed Nico wasn't spending most nights in his cabin but rather in Percy's and not for sleeping.

Will had accepted the new relationship and breaking up with Nico rather well. He mentioned that he was expecting it. He almost seemed as sad about losing Percy's ass in _parties _as his break-up. A confession from Jake Mason, son of Hephaestus had brought his mood up rather quickly. The Seven, besides were surprised by the turn of events, especially Jason but they took it rather well and were happy for their friends. Hazel had come to congratulate Nico and stay over in Camp Half-Blood for the Christmas break. Piper was happy to see them, and she was in camp as well. Jason and Frank were rather busy in Camp Jupiter, and Leo was touring with Calypso.

Nico could see the guys around camp that were looking at Percy with longing, lust-filled eyes. A lot of people wanted a piece of the hero of Olympus and a lot of people had a piece and wanted more. Nico assumed they were angry for losing their chances with Percy as he seemed rather committed to Nico and he couldn't blame them. Who wouldn't enjoy that great body and sexy ass? Nico sure as hell was.

Percy went back to Manhattan after the break ended. Nico was "at camp as a year rounder" but being capable of shadow-traveling meant he was in Percy's apartment quite often. He was over at Jackson's every weekend, every time Sally and Paul were out and whenever he felt like it during week days. Sally had offered for him to stay over all the time, they were happy to have him around and they had a guest bedroom although they all knew Nico would stay in Percy's bedroom. He hadn't quite accepted the offer but it was a thought. He also made sure sure to come over every time Percy's history project partner Chris came around. He made sure to kiss and grope Percy in front of the mortal to stake his claim. He seemed to get the point across pretty well and Chris stopped flirting or at least trying so hard to get into Percy's pants so much. The jock made a few comments about how a "little emo kid" like Nico wasn't probably aware of all the lewd tattoos and piercings Percy had. Nico was fast to shut him up and show him how wrong he was. He knew all about what was on his boyfriend's body.

The mortal had still reminded him that he didn't know much. He had seen all of Percy's tattoos and piercings but he wanted know. Nico wanted to know _why_ Percy got them, what they meant. So a Friday when Sally and Paul were out for dinner with Estelle and Percy got high at home, Nico came over to have sex. It seemed like a good time as any to ask. "The tattoos…"  
"What about them?"  
"What do they mean?"

Percy sat up to straddle Nico's waist. He sat down on Nico's thighs. Percy was naked with all the ink, the scars and piercings on his body bare for Nico to see. "These are some important monsters I've face y'know. Medusa told me god wanted to use me. She would spare me because I looked like my dad. I cut her head off and sent it to Olympus. I wanted to prove myself, have dad notice me and see I wasn't a puppet. He sent it back later and mom used the head to petrify Smelly Gabe. We were free of the jerk." Nico lifted his hand to graze the face inked on Percy's ribs, on his right side. A snake curling towards the pierced nipple. Percy never really talked about his first step-father, from what Nico knew the man was just awful, true scum of earth.

Nico slid his head lower to the axe holding Minotaur with funnily enough Fruit of the Loom underwear. It still looked muscled, covered in fur and gruesome, about to swing his axe and chop someone's head off. "Minotaur was sent by Hades to capture my mom, as a bargain for the helm of darkness that I didn't even know was stolen." Nico felt bad. He knew his father was… not a very easy person. He felt guilty even though this was before he had met Percy or even knew he was a demigod. "I took my first quest not to help my dad or find the stolen lightning or anything. I did it to save my mom." It was admirable how much the green eyed boy loved and cared for his mother. "He was back for the battle in Manhattan. He had the axe with all these camp necklaces around it…" Nico saw some small details on the axe that must've been the necklaces. Nico himself had beads since Battle of the Labyrinth, he chose to keep them in a pocket instead of wearing them. The detail on the tattoo would fade, just like the demigods they represented but Percy would remember the Minotaur and would remember those it killed.

Under the Minotaur, on Percy's hip was a monster that Nico was rather familiar with. A Fury diving in to rip its target to shreds. "I know you have some… history with Alecto." Percy giggled lazily, still under the influence. "Worst maths teacher ever. She hated me. All those detentions… She was the first monster I faced." She was the one who started it all for Percy, like Dr. Thorn for Nico. Funny they were both pretending to be horrible teachers.

On the side of Percy's thigh, the last monster tattoo was one Nico had never seen for himself. He recognized it from his Mythomagic cards, a chimera. He knew the snake tail wrapped around to the back of the older boy's thigh and reached up towards his ass while the lion head roared and spit fire to his thigh. Nico squeezed Percy's thigh. "On the quest to find the lightning we met Echidna and her chimera on the Gateway Arch. I was alone up there and poisoned. Echidna said I was faithless. I didn't believe in my dad. She was right, my dad had never given me a reason to believe in him until then. When I jumped from the Arch I prayed to him and he saved me. My powers kept me alive and healed me. He event sent a nymph to help me… I know gods aren't the best but they aren't faithless neither am I. At least I know my dad cares about me."

Percy smiled at Nico. "Satisfied now? You're not gonna be jealous of someone I fucked with like two times when I'm dating you now and not him?" Nico stuck out his tongue. "I'm not jealous."  
"Then why do you always come over when Chris does to molest me in front of him. Not that I mind but it does give the impression of you being jealous. For no reason I might add."  
"I am not jealous." Percy rolled his eyes. They both knew Nico was just being stubborn. Nico huffed in return and pushed Percy down on his back and got on top of him, reversing their positions. "There's still one more." He gently ran his fingers over the tribal wave tattoo above Percy's dick. With the placement so low on the navel, it curved from the hipbones in symmetry and dipped down toward the older boy's penis, the tattoo was very erotic. "This one's older. Before Hera captured you?"  
"Yes." Percy's voice was a whisper.

Nico got off Percy. This tattoo was different from the rest. It wasn't a monster that Percy had defeated. It was something deeper. "When I was younger and my mom was married to Gabe… He used to hit her and I realized it too late. I thought I was taking the hit, by letting him touch me and rape me. I wasn't saving anyone. When I got to camp there was Luke. I was twelve but I knew what he wanted and I let him take it. I let him have me." Percy took a deep breath. "Virginity is a joke if you were raped as a kid. It didn't matter but Luke was nice at the beginning. He seemed to care. And my first crush became the host for Kronos and kept touching me and raping me as much as he could until the end. After Gabe and after how Luke turned out, after he became Kronos I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't accept being gay and desiring man." Percy laid a hand on the tattoo. "Dating Annabeth seemed like an easy way out but I am gay and she is a girl. So I got this tattoo on an impulse. It is sexy you know, kinda slutty with the place and all. And with how I was before you…I am a huge slut. Everybody thinks so."

Nico could see how broken his boyfriend was. He knew at camp and even in Percy's school a lot of guys thought he was easy. Percy had convinced himself to believe their awful thought about him, about his own self. "You're not though. You never wanted Gabe or Luke."  
"I wanted Luke."  
"Not as your rapist." Percy had tears in his eyes. "No. But I let him and I let everyone else."  
"It's not your fault. And so what if you slept with a few people. A lot of guys do it." Nico hugged his shaking boyfriend. "That's not what people think. Everybody thinks I'm a slut. I fucked so many guys after this tattoo."

Nico kissed his kelp brained boyfriend. A gentle press of lips to stop Percy from biting them. "But now you're with me. And you chose to be _only_ with me. I don't care about others and what they say. I don't think you're a slut or anything. I love you." He laid a hand on top of Percy's above the tattoo. Percy gave a lopsided smile before snuggling to Nico. "I love you too. Thank you. For believing in me so much. For accepting me."  
"Always." They kept cuddling until Nico broke the silent comfort. "Do the piercings have a meaning too?" Percy just laughed. His cheeks were damp with drying tears, his face flushed and his eyes were even more bloodshot than before. "No. They were either cool and sexy and I got them without thinking much. You know I do things without planning or anything. Besides the nipple ones are sensitive as hell and the tongue one is very useful and fun."  
"Yeah. They are great."

**I have seen fics with punk and tattooed Percy and he usually has sea creatures and patterns (understandably). I like to think people, at least someone like Percy would get a tattoo for a reason so I wanted to put their reasoning for my story. It got a bit dark though. I am a sucker for dark and terrible backstories creating great characters. Not beta-ed. All constructive criticism is welcome.**


	3. Mortals Can't See Monsters

Putting high school students to cliques like it's some sort of Mean Girls knock off is no one's intention. It just happens. People group up and separate themselves from others. Of course, groups like jocks, popular or rich kids were better than groups of nerds, choir kids or punks. Chris could've been a jock. Not in the beginning but after he joined the basketball team in sophomore year. He could've made it up in the social ladder of high school where people who believed them to be on top liked stepping on others they considered to be below them. It didn't matter though. He had a group outside this silly caste system with his _friends_. Better to be with them than a group of people too eager to humiliate and bully others for recognition.

In freshman year, when Chris wasn't on a team and had nothing going for him to gain recognition of any sort, he didn't know which table to sit with during lunch. People sat in groups, with their friends or people they had something similar with, like a team, a club or an interest… Percy was the one to save Chris from awkward lunches at the edge of a random table where he sat in silence, isolated by others, unwanted and unincluded in their conversations.

It wasn't easy sitting with Percy. Not in the beginning at least, before getting to know him and making friends with him. Percy was the kid who blew up the band room in orientation after all. It did turn out to be crazy cheerleader's fault while Percy was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, Percy still had a record, this wasn't the first room to blow up with him around and people knew it. It really didn't give Percy any good credit. In general Percy was an odd one anyways; a bit guarded and kind of a loner, full of sarcasm and dumb jokes. He wore t-shirts and jeans just like any other dude but his usually came with rips, holes and burns that were not from any manufacturer. These all combined to create some sort of barbed wire wrapped around him, he was a troublemaker, someone your parents warned you to stay away from, someone who you couldn't understand the true personality of right away. Percy came with an edge.

No matter what, Chris couldn't shake off the weird feeling Percy gave off. It didn't matter if Percy was talking about food, his mom, maths class or just innocently smiling his goofy and lopsided grin, he always felt a bit off. A mortal like Chris couldn't understand the feeling of primal power and divine ancestry Percy possessed. With his funny and kind personality it was reduced to an edge that the mortals could feel yet couldn't truly understand with their dulled senses and instincts. To Chris, Percy was a rebellious troublemaker, not really dangerous with a kind heart and a dumb sense of humour. He was sarcastic to boot and a real mama's boy, Percy wasn't a bad person.

In the freshman year, it was Chris, Percy, Rachel (who was rather close to Percy and in on some sort of inside joke no one else knew) and a girl called Mae from Rachel's art class. Later in the year Mae brought along Dale, a skinny and geeky boy with a sharp sense of humour that didn't do too well to keep bullies off him. Percy was quick to stand up for him. While despite the rumours and his track record suggested otherwise, Percy had never really fought anyone as far as Chris knew. He wasn't particularly tall, buff or intimating looking but it didn't matter with a reputation like his. The kid that got kicked from eight schools, been part of a national band hunt and was involved in blowing up the band room before school had even started… Nobody really messed with him or got involved in the first place. That was fine too. They knew Percy was nice and wouldn't hurt someone or blow something up on purpose. They had their own group of misfits now and that was all they needed to survive the insanity of high school.

After freshman year Rachel transferred to some fancy girls only school. A called Emily that was rather pretty with good grades and a nice personality, that could've sat on another table easily joined them. She had a rather obvious crush on Percy who was rather relieved looking that year like he had some sort of weight lifted off his shoulders over the summer. Maybe because he was finally going to the same school for a second year for the first time in his life, Chris wouldn't know. It was funny to watch it though. Percy was taller now and for a guy who tried out for the swim team on Chris's insistence and didn't seem to do another sport besides skateboarding and basketball occasionally he was rather muscled. He had that troublemaker aura with somewhat of a bad boy image with his messy hair, ripped jeans and scars that were on display whenever he wore short sleeves or in swim meetings. There were interested girls but unlike Emily most girls seemed to fear the barbed wire around Percy.

It was funny and sad watching Emily flirt with Percy and get no reply. Chris wasn't sure if Percy was dense or just really uninterested. The reason that Percy seemed to be ignoring other girls came out when they decided to meet up at his place to watch a movie. Turns out Percy was dating a pretty blond girl with scary grey eyes. The girl, Annabeth seemed nice enough with a calculating gaze and an edge similar to the one Percy had surrounding him. As a couple they seemed close, very close. They weren't close in the making out whenever they can with over the top PDA way, they were just close in a way Chris and his friends couldn't understand. They seemed to be in on something that no one else knew. They had a certain familiarity with each other in the way they spoke and acted to each other, not necessarily in couple way. It was clear that this girl was Percy's best friend, not Chris, not Rachel, not anyone else.

Percy was acting strange towards Christmas. Of course, he mentioned nothing and kept making his corny jokes and terrible puns. They could tell he had something on his mind though. His swimming tights used for swim meets and races were rather high waisted and not the ones he was using before. It was strange thing for a guy like Chris to notice. He attended the races to support a fellow jock. He was never one to look at another guy's clothes but it was odd Percy had new swimming tights for no reason when he was someone who wore his t-shirts and jeans until they were in tatters. Whatever this thing was it was making Percy withdrawn. Chris was sure it was nothing to make Percy disappear from the face of Earth though.

They were all sad, worried and confused about Percy's unexpected disappearance. Their English teacher and Percy's stepfather, Paul Blofis seemed rather tired and worried. He mentioned something about Percy leaving for a family emergency related to his dad's side of the family. Chris had never heard anything about Percy's real dad, he had at some point assumed the guy must've been dead or very unrelated to Percy's life and they never saw each other. A family emergency coming up seemed odd, especially with how long it seemed to last and how worried Mr. Blofis was.

They had lost hope of Percy coming back by the end of sophomore year. Maybe Percy moved in with his previously estranged father? Who knew. But Percy was full of surprises and on the first day of junior year he showed up at Goode again. Same jeans, same t-shirts, same messy hair. He was wiry, more muscled yet still thin; not buff with a swimmer's body, thin and lithe. He was pale compared to before. _Most people got tanned in summer not paler._ He had a mark on his left forearm, a trident letter SPQR and a single line under it. It kind of fit the whole rebellious teenager thing he had going on. With his hair a tad longer and messier and with his jeans ripped at the knees if Chris's parents saw him hanging out with Percy they wouldn't approve.

Parents would approve even less if they saw the monster face Percy had on his right side, tattooed on his ribs that was revealed when he had to try for the swim team again and Chris went to cheer him on. A woman's head with snakes for hair, screaming in a mix of anger and pain, her neck cut of with specks of blood around a rather clean cut. _Medusa_, a rather recognizable myth from the history class. Chris couldn't understand why Percy would get that as a tattoo but Percy was an impulsive and moody teenager that defied all expectations. Chris noticed he was wearing his old swim tights that looked way less constricting easier to move in. Chris saw more ink peeking from the low waisted tights. _Holy shit._ A tattoo so close to… Now that was an image that got into Chris's head. He wanted to see the full thing and how low it went. He wouldn't have expected that from Percy just like how he didn't expect to find it hot.

Chris was shocked to find Percy in the changing rooms for the basketball court a few days after that swim team try-outs. He was bent over a bench with one of Chris's teammates, a senior named Giles behind him. The shaking hips and the grunts resonating in the empty room made what was going on undeniably clear. It was quite the scene and Chris was quite sure he shouldn't have been so aroused. He couldn't stop watching and he couldn't get himself to leave the room. He was glued to the ground with an obvious boner when Percy looked up to see him once Giles left for showers. When he stood up he saw the tribal waves above Percy's dick in their full glory. With what Chris had just seen, the provocative tattoo seemed very fitting.

Chris couldn't talk. He just stared as Percy gave him a sultry smile and left to join Giles in the shower, continuing their previous activity with the sounds following soon after. Cum was dripping down his thighs as he walked away. _Damn, that was a fine ass._

Things were awkward and over the next weeks Chris had seen Percy sneak around with a bunch of guys. He didn't want to be a peeping tom again and he could guess what was going on anyway. He couldn't take it anymore though. Chris asked about Annabeth one lunch after seeing Percy sneak around with a different guy too many times. "How's Annabeth doing?"  
"Great." Percy shrugged. He wasn't expecting a question about Annabeth from people who had seen her one or two times but he could roll with it. "She was over yesterday to help me with maths and watch some Rick and Morty after." _And get high._ Chris was aware that Percy was smoking weed now and quite a lot of it but it felt like another thing that he couldn't ask about. Percy was on a whole new level of fidgety with a side of anxiety after that family emergency and used marijuana to calm down and relax.

Emily seemed upset. She still had a crush on Percy. She knew that Percy was nice and kind even if he looked like nothing but trouble from outside he was far from it. Of course she didn't know as much as Chris about her crush's new habits. "And your relationship?" Chris threaded on. He wanted some explaining, some answers. "Huh?" Percy looked surprised for real now, almost spitting out his half chewed pizza. "We stopped dating in summer. I don't get why you're so curious though." At least he wasn't cheating. That was enough to satisfy Chris.

While Chris was satisfied, Emily was seeing hope to get something she wanted for a long time. "I hope you're ok. She didn't hurt your feelings too much I hope."  
"Nah. We're best friends still. And I talked with her and she helped me come to terms with being gay. So we ended it." Only Percy would come out to a bunch of unsuspecting people with such nonchalance. It was like how he acted in the basketball team's dressing room with Chris as well. Maybe all the weed he was smoking had something to do with it or he had changed a lot over the time he was gone. Chris wouldn't know.

Lunch didn't get any less awkward after that but the topic was closed. Emily was quite crushed in a way she had never expected. Percy would never look at her. On the other hand, Chris was confused as hell, there was a real chance Percy could look at him with that sultry gaze again.

He was nervous when he and Percy got matched for their history project two weeks before Christmas. Percy proposed to go to his place for studying. They weren't doing anything besides studying really when Percy kissed him out of the blue. Chris didn't know he had a tongue ring before. Before he could really process things, Chris was making out with his friend who was very much a guy, the bulge poking his belly made sure of reminding him. Soon they were in Percy's bed after a mind blowing blowjob with Chris's dick up his friend's ass and Percy screaming for more. Chris barely noticed the new tattoos he hadn't seen as he was no longer going to swim meetings in fear of what was going on that very moment happening. There was a half bull man under Medusa and a winged creature on the side of Percy's hip, claws reaching Percy's ass. Chris put his hand on the tattoo and grasped the moving hips trying to keep up.

Percy wasn't tight like that one girl Chris had been with at a party. He didn't really have much experience but three fingers fitting in quite easily for stretching seemed a bit loose to him. Maybe Percy had been with someone earlier that day, he seemed to have the stamina and the desire for it and Chris could remember him walking to bathroom with a guy.

The sex felt great but also off. Percy was reeking of weed. _Did this even mean anything if Percy was high through the roof and probably had been with someone earlier that day?_ The next two weeks they had sex every time they went over to Percy's to work on the project. Percy kept seeing other guys. It was clear that he didn't want a relationship, he wanted someone to fuck him. Percy gotten another monster tattoo after their first time and a navel piercing that that was lewd but as much as the ones on his nipples. When Percy asked him to come over for a study on Christmas eve, Chris wondered if he would be wanted for dinner and if Percy was getting serious. That was when Chris met Nico di Angelo.

Some goth looking kid with all black clothes and hair with pale olive skin had showed up when they were finishing up their study on Christmas eve. Turned out kid was invited for dinner, Chris was not.

After the Christmas break, Chris didn't see Percy sneak around with more guys. Their study sessions became normal study sessions with the goth boy constantly there. He kept touching Percy and kissing him, murmuring things in his ear that would make Percy laugh. It was obvious they had a thing and Chris was out of the picture. It was strange to see Percy so invested in someone after acting quite slutty.

Chris never learned why Percy had monster tattoos or why he slept around so much only to stop it for some boy. However, he did know that what Percy had with Nico was more than what he would've had with Chris. The boy was edgy in all sorts of ways but also in the same way as Percy. He was like Annabeth, privy to a side of Percy that Chris and his friends would never know. At least, if nothing else, Percy was loyal and he seemed happy to stop all of his sexual escapades for the sake of a certain Italian boy.

Chris could never really understand Percy. Sometimes it felt like the rebellious, impulsive and moody teen lived in a different world that Chris didn't know of. There were always things about him that Chris couldn't really identify, hidden under a carefree smile. Nico seemed to understand or at least have the guts to ask.

In the end it was probably for the best. Girls were pretty with nice curves, smooth skin with flesh supple and soft for the touch. They were nice when they were petite and a guy could just wrap his arms around a thin waist. Chris liked that and Percy was none of that. He had scars all over, hardly a patch of skin without some deformation making it ever rough and uneven. He wasn't the tallest guy, only a bit above average and his wiry build was slim rather than buff, but he was too big and muscled to be a cute girl. There was nothing feminine about Percy's physique. Even his thin waist with thick buttocks and thighs were made from pure muscle, nothing soft and supple. Besides being a guy, Percy was just too difficult for Chris. Too much mystery and edge. Chris would take the easy way out of this and date a nice girl or with his newfound bisexuality even a cute guy that didn't have Percy's edge. He was happy to leave Percy to someone that made him happy. Someone that really understood the tattooed boy. What they had was just a fling in high school anyway.

**So I decided to make my completely irrelevant OC Chris somewhat relevant for one single story. It meant I had to come up with some more OCs so that the story made sense and in the end', after this fic none of them will be relevant anymore?**

**I took some inspiration from a chapter of Heaven's Love, the whole barbed wire thing. I really didn't remember anything else in the manga besides that the aesthetic of the main brothers was cool. The whole "like barbed wire wrapped around him" was what stuck to me about the manga and I legit spent 30+ min to find some yaoi manga I had read years ago just because of that one part while I was typing the story on my PC. (Bad idea because typing too so long since i was distracted.) Now that I reread the thing, there so many things in there that I don't agree with and I got the reference kinda wrong but it was a cute nostalgic names in manga are hilarious but Cry's aesthetic is life.**

**Hopefully this was a good way of setting it up for future fics, I think it's time to see best boys struggle with what future and their relationship brings to them. Once I have a more clear idea of course. I have a few things in mind but they are up in the air.**

**I wonder if this mortal/OC view fic was any good. I quite like these type of unknowing characters that are not necessarily super relevant tying to understand things and observing my favourite characters. Maybe I'll do more later when I have more things written.**

**Comments and constructive criticism is welcome.**


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